Hayden Panettiere’s representatives condemned the public on Tuesday for fueling speculation following her death at age 36 earlier this month. However, they also admitted there is “more to the story” as the investigation continues.
The “Heroes” star’s reps issued a statement asking for anyone with real information about Panettiere’s death to go to law enforcement, while also calling the accompanying rumor mill “deeply disrespectful” to those who are grieving.
“Many people who were not close to Hayden are using her death as an opportunity to fuel gossip and speculation about a situation they knew very little about,” the statement read. “It is deeply disrespectful to her memory and to those who knew and loved her and are actively grieving this tremendous loss.”
“If you have legitimate information that could be helpful, please contact law enforcement rather than turning to social media to speculate publicly about something you do not fully understand,” they added. “There is much more to this story than what is currently being discussed publicly, and those closest to Hayden are actively cooperating with the ongoing investigation to help ensure that the truth comes to light and that justice is properly served.”
The statement comes days after Panettiere’s West Hollywood neighbor went to the press to talk about times they called 911 for disturbances they heard from the apartment. Mia Terrazzas told Inside Edition that she made the calls while the “Remember the Titans” star lived there with her then-boyfriend Brian Hickerson.
“I saw her leaving on a gurney. Brian was right next to her, and I asked her if she was OK, and it looked to me that she had suffered some type of trauma that looked to be battering,” Terrazzas said. “It was clear she was terrified.”
Panettiere detailed alleged domestic abuse she suffered in her memoir “This is Me: A Reckoning” this past May. The neighbor also noted that posters of the ex were put up around the West Hollywood property warning anyone who saw Hickerson to call 911, but they only stayed up for a week.
The former child star was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest by emergency services responding to a 911 call in Greenville, S.C., on Aug. 16, with “no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances,” according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. It was announced last week that the Drug Enforcement Agency joined the probe into Panettiere’s death.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen,” her father Skip Panettiere shared in an initial statement.
